Ireland | Food Safety Africa Magazine

Ireland Consumers sickened after consuming cannabis gummies containing dangerous THC knockoffs

Jan 12, 2023Jan 16, 2023

IRELAND – The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) has raised an alarm about synthetic cannabinoids masquerading as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) edibles, in sweets and candies that have led to a few hospitalizations. In December 2022, the HSE’s National Social Inclusion Office (NSIO) reported that the hospitalizations resulted from consuming fake Jolly Rancher gummies in Ireland’s Tipperary Region. Forensic Science Ireland’s investigation…

China reopens multimillion-euro market, lifts ban on Irish beef imports

Jan 10, 2023Jan 16, 2023

CHINA – The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has eased restrictions that had been in place since 2020, allowing for the resumption of Irish beef shipments to China. The country halted beef shipments in May 2020 following an incidence of atypical BSE also referred to as mad cow disease. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurological disease in…

Ireland records ongoing adherence to permitted residues in food

Nov 25, 2022Nov 25, 2022

IRELAND – The National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) tests conducted in 2021 by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) have revealed that 99.89% of the food samples taken were compliant and contained no indications of permitted or banned pollutants. The NRCP involves testing for banned substances, approved veterinary medicines, approved animal feed additives, and environmental contaminants. Over…

Committee finalizes review of Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme

Sep 22, 2022Sep 22, 2022

IRELAND – The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), under the guidance of the FQAS Standard Setting Committee, has finalized the review of the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIBL FQAS) expected to take effect from November 1, 2022. The formal review process, which began last autumn, saw the committee complete a root and branch review of…

Researchers look to identify bacteria present in dairy processing environments

Sep 19, 2022Sep 19, 2022

IRELAND/AUSTRIA – Ireland state research agency Teagasc and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria are currently undertaking a project to identify the bacteria present in dairy processing environments to evaluate the impact on Listeria monocytogenes. Food-processing facilities are required to follow regulations to provide food safety assurance. However, the food-processing environment in general is not sterile, Teagasc said.…

Kerry warns of increased food fraud risk along supply chain

Sep 9, 2022Sep 9, 2022

IRELAND – Taste and nutrition solutions provider Kerry has sounded an alarm that food and ingredient shortages could lead to a spike in cases of food fraud along the supply chain. “Instances of raw ingredient and food product shortages have been rife in recent months due to a variety of factors. This means that many consumers have to turn to…

Bord Bia develops new Food Processor Standard to promote sustainability

Mar 28, 2022Mar 28, 2022

IRELAND – Bord Bia, an Irish state agency that promotes sales of Irish food, has developed a new Food Processor Standard (FPS) that requires processors to submit a three-to-five-year sustainability plan. The new standard combines and replaces the Meat Processor Quality Assurance Standard (MPQAS) and the Prepared Fruit and Vegetable Standard (PFVS). The MPQAS was developed for meat factories that…

Isle of Man announces progress in milk regulations

Jan 24, 2022Jan 24, 2022

Britain/Ireland – Isle of Man’s, an island in the Irish sea, Environment Minister has announced the progress made in the regulation and quality of cows’ milk, after a critical scrutiny report highlighted serious flaws in how the island’s dairy industry is regulated. The report had three initial recommendations, the first of which is the need to develop and implement a…

Safefood launches eLearning tool to provide basic food safety training to new staff

Nov 24, 2021Nov 24, 2021

IRELAND – Safefood, a food safety management software company, has launched a new free eLearning tool for small and medium-sized (SMEs) food businesses across Northern Ireland to provide basic food safety training to new staff as they manage a post-pandemic increase in demand. ‘Safefood for business’ is a free online training programme in basic food safety for SME food businesses…

FSAI urges public to be cautious of cannabis edibles like jelly sweets

Oct 28, 2021Oct 28, 2021

IRELAND – The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has urged the public to be extremely vigilant to the dangers of inadvertent consumption, particularly by children, of cannabis edibles, products such as jelly sweets containing the psychoactive cannabis component known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The FSAI issues this warning in advance of the Halloween festivities next week where small children, teenagers…

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